Risk Controls
Hard Limits That Hold — Even When You Want to Override Them
Sterling Partners embeds non-bypassable risk gates directly into the order router so no single bad trade, or bad impulse, can breach your defined exposure limits.
Risk Controls Designed Around Human Fallibility
Most platforms give you a stop-loss field and call it risk management. Sterling Partners implements risk as a separate enforcement layer between the strategy engine and the broker gateway. Before any order reaches the FIX router, it passes through a configurable rule set: daily loss limit, maximum open position count, single-instrument concentration cap, maximum order size, and a global kill switch. Rules are set during account configuration and require a two-factor re-authentication to modify — so the controls you agreed on in a calm moment stay in place during volatile ones.
Four Control Layers, Always On
Each layer is independent — a failure in one does not disable the others.
Daily drawdown limit
When realised P&L hits your configured threshold — say, -2% of account NAV — the system automatically cancels all open orders and blocks new order submission for the rest of the trading day. You receive an immediate push notification and an email summary.
Position-size caps
No single position may exceed a percentage of account equity you define at the instrument and asset-class level. The cap is applied at order entry — an oversized order is rejected before it routes, not after a partial fill leaves you exposed.
Concentration limits
Set a maximum percentage of total portfolio value that any one ticker, sector, or currency can represent. Useful for funds with mandate constraints and for any trader who wants structural diversification enforced automatically.
Global kill switch
One button — available in the terminal UI and as a mobile shortcut — flattens all positions and halts all strategies simultaneously. Execution typically completes within 3 seconds, depending on market liquidity at the moment of activation.
What Risk Controls Cannot Prevent
Risk controls operate at the order-submission level; they cannot protect against losses caused by extreme gapping events (circuit breakers, halts, overnight gaps) where market prices move beyond your stop levels before an order can fill. Slippage during fast markets may also result in a fill price worse than the rule threshold, causing a realized loss slightly above the configured limit. Controls apply to orders routed through the Sterling Partners terminal only — positions held at your broker outside the platform are not monitored.
Configure Your Risk Parameters in a Free Session
Book a 45-minute onboarding call and we'll help you set control thresholds that match your trading mandate and risk appetite.
Book a session